Michael Nielsen

A physicist turned writer, Michael Nielsen believes online communication and collaboration tools are revolutionizing the way we make scientific discoveries.

Why you should listen

A Fulbright scholar, Michael Nielsen not only made significant research contributions in the field of quantum physics, but also co-wrote the popular Quantum Computation and Quantum Information. He left academia to focus his research on “open science,” and recently published Reinventing Discovery: The New Era of Networked Science-- a book that discusses the Internet’s ability to “amplify our collective intelligence” and the cultural obstacles of the scientific community impeding this dramatic shift.

What others say

“"In writing this book, Nielsen has created perhaps the most compelling and comprehensive case so far for a new approach to science in the Internet age ... eloquent, thought-provoking and inspiring to read."” — Timo Hannay, Nature Physics

Michael Nielsen’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Michael Nielsen

Sometimes it seems as if the Internet has created a bold new era of openness. But if there is one place where openness appears to be lagging, it would be scientific research. The scientific community is full of intricate (and often little-known) systems that regulate and control it, sometimes to great purpose, but sometimes to its […]

In a timely and incisive talk at TEDxWaterloo, Michael Nielsen made the case for open science — the idea that research data and results should be freely available to the public, and that scientists should collaborate more freely with each other and with the public. Since the talk, his book, Reinventing Discovery, has been released, […]